


Towbitts

by Exdraghunt



Category: TUGS
Genre: more specific ratings before each chapter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-08
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2019-03-15 15:31:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13616304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Exdraghunt/pseuds/Exdraghunt
Summary: A variety of TUGS-related drabbles and one-shots.





	Towbitts

**Author's Note:**

> Characters: Hercules and Ten Cents  
> Pairings: None  
> Rating: G
> 
>  
> 
> This started as an idea "what if Hercules is so used to being alone at sea he gets over sensitized around all the hustle and bustle in port" and turned into some sort of character study instead.

 

                Ten Cents whistled to himself as he returned to the Star Dock for the evening. He had finished his tasks early, making him the first one home. This normally wasn’t much reason to celebrate, since there wasn’t anything to do until the others got back, but today it was special. Hercules was in port for his annual boiler cleaning, which meant he was tied up at the Star Dock and would be for the next two weeks.    It was rare for the ocean tug to be around for more than a day or two at most, and Ten Cents was looking forward to hearing all about his adventures. (And sharing some of his own, of course.)

                The enormous, sleek shape of Hercules was easy to spot moored in his customary place at the end of the Star pier. He was riding a little higher in the water than normal, a consequence of his boiler having been drained for maintenance, but still had the long, low outline that characterized an ocean-going tug.

                Carefully, Ten Cents backed up to the pier next to the larger tug, throwing a couple of lines from his stern to the pier and another off his bow up to the huge towbitt on Hercules’s prow.

                “Good evening, Ten Cents.” Hercules stirred from the light doze he had slipped into, concentrating for a moment to secure the mooring line that had been tossed up onto his foredeck. “Home for the day I see?”

                “Yeah, I finished up early so I could come back and see ya.” Ten Cents explained, excitement clear in his voice. “Ya missed so much while ya were gone, somebody’s gotta catch ya up.”

                And then Ten Cents was off and talking, gossiping in the way that only ships could. About all of the dumb pranks the Zeros had been up to, and what famous ships had come and gone, and who had hit who, and the boats that had wrecked, and the boats that had launched. Of course, Ten Cents put the exploits of himself and Sunshine at the center of it all.

                Halfway through another story, (“And then, Zip crashed into a moored oyster barge!”) Ten Cents looked up to see that Hercules’s attention seemed to be wandering. With a slight frown, the harbor tug cut himself off. “Oi, are you okay, Hercules? You seem tired.”

                “Yes, I apologize m’dear.” Hercules shook his head a little, but his eyes still wandered out over the port of Bigg City. There was a constant traffic of boats passing as pleasureboats and fishing vessels returned to their berths for the evening. Whistles blew and horns honked as outbound passed inbound, and the whistles of the shipyards sounded off the end of the work day. “The port is just very.  . .busy, it’s distracting sometimes.”

                “Must be a real change for ya, coming in to so much hustle and bustle after being out at sea.” Ten Cents thought all of the activity in the port was exciting, it meant that things were never boring. There was always something going on, like a mildly organized chaos. He couldn’t imagine being out at sea for weeks all alone. “I bet you get real lonely out there on those long tows.”

                “It’s not so bad.” Hercules said quietly, looking down at Ten Cents. “I prefer it to being in port, if I am honest.”

                “You’d rather be out on the ocean instead of in port?” Ten Cents gasped, unable to imagine such a thing. “Is- is that why you’re never around? I only ever see ya for a few minutes, get a word ‘ere and there with ya. It always seems like you’re in a hurry to be somewhere else. Like you don’t really have the time to talk to us.”

                Hercules looked at the younger tug with surprise. He never realized that Ten Cents felt that way. Sure, he was aware that many of the smaller harbor tugs saw him as some kind of hero or idol, but Hercules never thought too much of it. It was just because they didn’t see much of him, because he was an ocean-goer. For tugs that had never seen the open sea, that probably seemed very impressive indeed.

                “I’m sorry, Ten Cents.” Hercules said after a moment. “I do enjoy seeing the rest of the Stars, and I enjoy talking to you. I didn’t realize I seemed distant from your perspective. It’s just that sometimes, all of this activity in port and be.  . .well, it can be a bit much. I can be out to sea for two months, without ever seeing or speaking to another soul, coming back to the noise and the crowds of Bigg City can be. Overwhelming.”

                Ten Cents went quiet. He’d never thought of it that way. To him, spending two months alone at sea sounded like a recipe for going mad, it never occurred to him that someone used to being at sea might see the port the same way.

                “Do you know why I visit Lillie a lot?” Hercules continued, looking out to where the lightship’s beacon was just visible in the distance. “It’s quiet out there, and sometimes I need that.”

                “I just figured it was ‘cause she’s yer girlfriend.” Ten Cents blurted.

                Hercules chuckled, looking at Ten Cents in amusement. “No, she isn’t my girlfriend. Lillie is just a friend. But she understands. Lillie is out there for months on end, and the only ships she sees pass at a great distance. Her only visitors are the monthly fuel deliveries, and when I stop by. Sometimes, we don’t even talk. Just sit and watch the sun set.”

                It was hard for Ten Cents to imagine seeing one of his friends and _not_ talking with them. He felt like he always had something to say, some comment to make, even if it was just to Sunshine after only an hour apart from other switcher.

                “What’s it like being out at sea, then?” Ten Cents asked curiously. “I always heard it’s real scary.”

                “It can be.” Hercules acknowledged. “But it is also humbling. I have seen the humpback whales on their migrations, and been so far from land there is nothing but water on every horizon. I have also weathered typhoons and storms where there is no choice but to put my bow to the wind and bear it and hope that a light indicating safe harbor might appear in the distance. Sometimes, I have had to cut my tow before it drags me down with it to the deep.”

                Ten Cents’ eyes went wide as he tried to imagine seeing such things. How often had he sat at this dock and hunkered down during storms, grateful to be home and giving nary a thought to the ships out at sea? How often had he taken comfort in the sight of his home harbor all around and not considered those ships that go to sea?

                “Wow, Hercules.” Ten Cents managed finally. “That’s amazin’. I wish I could leave the harbor.”

                “Your job is just as important as mine, in a different way.” Hercules reassured, “We all have our work to do, and should find joy enough in that.” Looking out towards the setting sun, Hercules’ higher vantage point afforded him a view beyond the distant breakwater to the ship’s inbound from the west. “Now then, I do believe I see a windjammer coming in. Why don’t you go out there to greet him, darling? Earn Captain Star a little extra money. You can tell me more about what I’ve missed while I’ve been gone later.”

                Ten Cents brightened at the prospect of winning a tow, and quickly stoked his fire back up. It hadn’t been banked for long, and there was still plenty of steam in his boiler. Casting off his lines, the harbor switcher headed for the entrance to Bigg City Port. Cresting the horizon, he could just see the lofty spars of a big Cape Horner, furling it’s sails after months bucking the waves at the bottom of the world.

                Approaching the huge tallship, Ten Cents could see the wear on her hull and weariness in her spars from fighting against the worst oceans known to ship-kind. Her captain was more than happy to accept the towing fee, and Ten Cents quickly got to work securing himself to his new tow. For all that the wide ocean fascinated him, life was good at home too.

               

 

                The next night, Ten Cents once again finished up early and was the first home. Instead of saying anything, however, he just joined Hercules in watching the sun set over the horizon. This was a nice way of spending time too.


End file.
